NUI Galway Theatre Season allow students the opportunity to bring theatre into Galway city for all to enjoy, while having a major impact on their future careers

As part of the ongoing development of Drama and Theatre Studies at NUI Galway, the university today announced the inaugural NUI Galway Theatre Season. From February to April of this year, NUI Galway Drama students will be working with Galway’s leading theatre companies and artists to stage both classic and brand new plays. These will include a new street theatre performance devised by Macnas, the Irish premiere of a play by the author of the West End hit musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many other exciting events.  Performances will happen both on campus and at venues around the city.

The opening production will be an adaptation of the Spanish classic Yerma by Frederico Lorca. Produced in association with Core Theatre College, this play runs at the Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane from 13-15 February. Future productions include the Irish premiere of David Greig’s Monster in the Hall at Nun’s Island Theatre from 26-29 March and the Greek tragedy Electra (adapted by Irish dramatist Frank McGuinness) at The Cube Theatre, NUI Galway from 9-11 March. The season concludes on 2 April with a public performance by first year students with Macnas.

The season also includes the inaugural NUI Galway Theatre Residency, an annual event that will see a major Irish theatre company visiting Galway for a week of workshops, public lectures, and performances. The first Theatre Residency will be conducted by Brokentalkers, the Dublin-based group whose Have I No Mouth is currently completing a successful run in New York, where it was praised in The New York Times for being “Gentle and forlorn, angry and yearning”.

Speaking at the launch of the season, NUI Galway’s Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies, Patrick Lonergan said that this development marks an important stage in the evolution of Drama at the university. “Our first theatre season gives our students an opportunity to work with great Galway companies, directors and actors, and it allows us to bring theatre into our city for all to enjoy. Performing in professional venues, and working with professional artists, our students will gain invaluable skills and practical experiences that will have a major impact on their future careers.”

This is the first time that NUI Galway has produced a season of plays, but Professor Lonergan states that this development will continue into the years ahead. “As Drama grows at this university, so too will the number of productions we’ll stage each year. We want our productions to become an intrinsic and essential part of the Galway theatre scene, making sure that the university and our students are at the heart of Galway’s cultural life. With the recent launch of the Druid Academy at NUI Galway, our activities will expand significantly in the years ahead. This season marks an important first step for us.”

Tickets for Yerma available at the Socs Box on 091 492852 or Town Hall Theatre 091 569777. Tickets for Electra available at the Socs Box, and tickets for The Monster in the Hall available at Galway Arts Centre 091 565886. Brokentalkers will give a Public Lecture at the Siobhan McKenna Theatre, NUI Galway on 25 February from 5pm-7pm.

-Ends-